blister and Melanoma

Using a microchannel assay, we demonstrate that cells adopt distinct signaling strategies to modulate cell migration in different physical microenvironments. We studied α4β1 integrin-mediated signaling, which regulates cell migration pertinent to embryonic development, leukocyte trafficking, and melanoma invasion. We show that α4β1 integrin promotes cell migration through both unconfined and confined spaces. However, unlike unconfined (2D) migration, which depends on enhanced Rac1 activity achieved by preventing α4/paxillin binding, confined migration requires myosin II-driven contractility, which is increased when Rac1 is inhibited by α4/paxillin binding. This Rac1-myosin II cross talk mechanism also controls migration of fibroblast-like cells lacking α4β1 integrin, in which Rac1 and myosin II modulate unconfined and confined migration, respectively. We further demonstrate the distinct roles of myosin II isoforms, MIIA and MIIB, which are primarily required for confined and unconfined migration, respectively. This work provides a paradigm for the plasticity of cells migrating through different physical microenvironments.

Topics: 3T3 Cells; Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Focal Adhesions; Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings; Humans; Integrin alpha4; Integrin alpha4beta1; Jurkat Cells; Melanoma; Mice; Mutant Proteins; Mutation; Myosin Type II; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Paxillin; Phenotype; Protein Binding; rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein; Signal Transduction; Stress Fibers

We show that in melanoma cells oncogenic BRAF, acting through MEK and the transcription factor BRN2, downregulates the cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase PDE5A. Although PDE5A downregulation causes a small decrease in proliferation, its major impact is to stimulate a dramatic increase in melanoma cell invasion. This is because PDE5A downregulation leads to an increase in cGMP, which induces an increase in cytosolic Ca(2+), stimulating increased contractility and inducing invasion. PDE5A downregulation also this leads to an increase in short-term and long-term colonization of the lungs by melanoma cells. We do not observe this pathway in NRAS mutant melanoma or BRAF mutant colorectal cells. Thus, we show that in melanoma cells oncogenic BRAF induces invasion through downregulation of PDE5A.

Topics: Animals; Calcimycin; Calcium; Cardiac Myosins; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Cyclic GMP; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5; Down-Regulation; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings; Homeodomain Proteins; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Melanoma; Mice; Mice, Nude; Myosin Light Chains; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; Phosphorylation; POU Domain Factors; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Protein Binding; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; RNA, Small Interfering; Transplantation, Heterologous